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Council advocacy for disability respite

Council advocacy for disability respite
The City of Canterbury Bankstown will continue to advocate for the establishment and provision of local accessible facilities and services for people with disability.
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Council advocacy for disability respite
The City of Canterbury Bankstown will continue to advocate for the establishment and provision of local accessible facilities and services for people with disability.

29/03/2017

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29/03/2017

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The City of Canterbury Bankstown will continue to advocate for the establishment and provision of local accessible facilities and services for people with disability.

Council Administrator, Richard Colley, announced the move after a report found large centralised respite centres are no longer the preferred service model in Australia. The report, which was commissioned by the former Bankstown Council, was followed by further investigations by Council officers. They also found, there are currently 11 respite facilities and services already being offered across Canterbury-Bankstown, including:

Home Care Service of NSW;

Bankslink;

Roselink;

Chester Hill Centre-Based Respite;

Flexible Respite;

Creating Links Flexible Children’s Respite Options;

Transcultural Respite;

The 4Cs Friendship Group;

AFFORD Day programs Lakemba;

Riverwood-Canterbury Aged and Disability Support Service;

Roselands Respite Care Service.

"If Council chose to pursue such a model it would have to fund its capital and operational costs because there is no Federal or State Government funding available," Mr Colley said.

"Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), respite care funding is only provided to the individual who is integrated into our community, not centre-based.

"Delivering a centre of this size and caliber, without any Government funding support or necessary expertise, would severely impact the delivery of core Council services."

However, Mr Colley said Council continues to be heavily committed to supporting people with disability.

"We are in the process of developing the local Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP), which will help make Canterbury-Bankstown an even more accessible and liveable place for all," Mr Colley said.

"Once the DIAP is completed and endorsed by Council, it will go on public exhibition for community feedback. At that time, I encourage all residents to view it and have their say."